Hangzhou tuhao buys up 33 thousand river crabs and releases them all into river, ecologists appalled

A mysterious millionaire from Zhejiang province bought up 1.2 million yuan worth of crabs and released the whole lot back into a river, much to the dismay of aquatic-life experts.According to a report by Qianjiang Evening Post, a number of men allegedly in the employ of the crab-loving tuhao spent several days buying out the region’s stock of the animal, approximately 5 tons worth.Much to the bemusement of local traders, the buyers paid in cash and when asked what they intended to do with the animals replied that they were going to set them free. The wholesale market authority said they could not intervene as the buyer was not intentionally trying to manipulate prices.The Hangzhou fisheries authority were less sanguine about the incident, warning that releasing such a large number of crabs into the river at this time of the year would likely impact those already migrating down the river to lay eggs.Experts also claim that the crabs could potentially introduce bacteria into the ecosystem which some species may not have been previously exposed to.This millionaire’s bizarre act of compassion is rivalled in its stupidity only by the woman from Guangdong province who last year bought a large batch of venomous snakes and released them into a public park.[Image via Wikimedia]